Chapter 38\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evangeline had clawed her way into Asher\u2019s life using her father\u2019s life-saving favor and Asher\u2019s guilt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t afford to fail now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not when she still had an unexpected pregnancy to deal with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She picked up her phone again and sent a message to Amanda. \u201cAunt Amanda, I\u2019ll come visit you tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Asher had returned to his estate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Agnes had already finished cleaning and gone home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t turn the lights on. Standing in the entryway, his gaze fell on the shoe cabinet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet\u2019s pink, fluffy slippers used to be there. It was neatly paired with his black leather ones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time he came home, she would run over in those cute slippers, stand on her tiptoes, and help him loosen his tie.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWas today exhausting?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That sweet greeting always washed the fatigue away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asher shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the couch. His gaze drifted to the coffee table. There used to be a potted ivy there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet watered it every morning. She would trim the dead leaves, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One evening, he had returned home early and seen her crouched in front of the table, talking to the plant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to grow up quickly, okay? Once you\u2019re big enough, I\u2019ll send you to Dad\u2019s office to keep him company.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asher felt something inside him fill up as he watched her earnest profile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He walked over and hugged her from behind. \u201cSo, this plant is our child now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet jumped and swatted him playfully. \u201cWhen did you get back?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soon pra\u00a0<\/p>\n
Goodshort\u00a0<\/p>\n
K\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 38\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rested his chin on her shoulder. \u201cI\u2019m in a bad mood. I need you to comfort me, too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLiar. You\u2019re clearly smiling.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not. Kiss me and I will.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s someone here,\u201d she said, blushing as she pushed him away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you save the kisses for tonight, I\u2019ll have to charge double.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cS-Stop it. My waist is still sore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asher tightened his arms around her. His voice was low and raspy. \u201cLet me hold you just a little longer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whenever he held her like that, he felt as though he had the world in his hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJules-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asher snapped back to reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The coffee table in front of him was empty. The potted ivy was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t this going too far, Juliet?\u201d he muttered. \u201cYou just had to take my plant-son away,\u00a0<\/p>\n
He thought maybe he\u2019d use taking the plant back as an excuse to see her again tomorrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His stomach growled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asher walked into the kitchen. For a moment, it felt as though Juliet was still there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stood at the stove in an apron. Stew was simmering over low heat. She turned at the sound, eyes lighting up. \u201cYou\u2019re back? I saved you some late-night snacks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s late. Why aren\u2019t you asleep yet?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was waiting for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
too?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet would smile as she ladled out a bowl of stew and handed it to him. \u201cYou must be starving after working so late.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asher took the bowl and took a sip.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The warm stew slid down his throat, chasing away a whole day\u2019s worth of fatigue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He set the bowl down, cupped Juliet\u2019s face, and leaned in to kiss her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJules.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Goodshort\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2193\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 38\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMarrying you was the best decision I\u2019ve ever made in my life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet rose on tiptoe to kiss him back. \u201cMine too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asher stood in the kitchen. It was now stripped of all warmth. An indescribable ache spread inside him like rampant vines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His appetite vanished.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Going upstairs, he felt as if he could see her perched on the stairs waiting for him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHoney, are you tired? Do you want a shower?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m tired. I want a hug from my wife.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asher reached for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His fingers met only air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The smile on his face faltered. A trace of desolation flickered in his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He slowly withdrew his hand. His back bent under the weight. \u201cJules\u2026 Did I really do something wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 38\u00a0 Evangeline had clawed her way into Asher\u2019s life using her father\u2019s life-saving favor and Asher\u2019s guilt.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-save-your-pleas-im-with-your-best-friend-now-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=419"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":457,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419\/revisions\/457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}